Neptune Oyster

★★★★☆ 4.3 (6447)

"First, be prepared for a line because it's that popular. I stood in line for about a half an hour, but what's so great about that as you get to know the people in line from all over the world and once you get your one seat at the bar you realize how cool this place is.Then you meet Bianca. She's going to take care of you in every possible food way... OK and wine.I had the fried clams which were fantastic and then because of Yelp, I was given a plate of Crudo that was remarkable. I had to share it with my neighbors, what a great gift from a restaurant.I walked away with new friends and Bianca and another great experience at Neptune. That's all you can expect in a restaurant 3000 miles away. Loved it."

East Side Pockets

★★★★★ 4.6 (1348) • $$

"I forgot how much I loved this place! My favorite thing to do is order takeout and then go eat in in a nearby park. The food is always amazing and reasonably priced... also, they are open late! Small inside and some space to eat outside. There is a small updated bathroom for customers only if you ask for the key.I've tried almost every protein wrap and they are all fantastic. Gyro, gyro/falafel and chicken/falafel with everything are some of my favorites. I do also love the kafta and next on my list to try is the beef steak kabob. If I want extra protein I might try the gyro/chicken combo. The salads and plate dinners are amazing as well- so much to chose from! The line can sometimes be a bit long but it moves decently fast.Not much else to say, just great quality food! I'm glad this place has survived Thayer St. for so long:)"

Al Dente Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (1553) • $$

"4 stars for the food and an extra star for the service.Made a reservation earlier in the day, arrived in time and got seated by the great host right away.Small cosy, traditional, a little noisy but awesome little local Italian in a great part of North End.Food was super fresh, quick and tasty. Puttanesca was nice and tasty, as was the Veal special. The sauces could maybe use just a little more flavor, salt, pepper etc, but with the home made pasta all was very tasty as was the caprese salad.Lots to choose from on the menu.The service from Joanna made the night awesome. Super friendly, attentive, and homely Boston service.Definitely recommend if you don't feel like lining up at the other couple hyped restaurants."

Panza

★★★★☆ 3.8 (1511) • $$

"Came here for reservations with 3 of my friends. I came a little later than the rest so they were already seated by the windows as well as a handful of other tables.For appetizers we shared their bruschetta, mussels, and fried calamari. The tomato and basil mixture was light and bright on the well toasted hearty bread. Mussels were plump and flavorful in the white wine sauce. Pretty standard fried calamari with slices of banana peppers too. Since we ordered so many appetizers for 4 people, we opted for only 3 entrees to share including the seafood risotto, linguine carbonara, and braised beef short rib dinner. The seafood risotto had a considerable portion of clams, shrimp, and veggies. It was perfectly cooked with an ideal texture. The carbonara was creamy and decadent. Even the short rib was jam packed with flavor with the soft wedges of polenta. Overall, my friends and I had a wonderful time from the delicious food to the wonderful service. We walked out super full and incredibly happy. Would love to come again and recommend others to check them out too!"

Mr. Bartley's Gourmet Burgers

★★★★☆ 3.6 (1377) • $$

"While visiting Harvard, we decided to grab lunch in the area. I had my dog with me, so we ended up here due to their outdoor tables that welcomed dogs. Plus, they even have a dog menu!Even though we were seated outside, our server was very good about checking up on us with a cheery attitude. The menu has a huge variety of burgers with unique names from Joe Biden to iPhone to Swifties --kinda lovin' it. We ended up choosing the Triple "D" ($24.95) and Chicken Wings ($15.75). The burger is stacked with double patty, cheese, grilled onions, bacon, and BBQ sauce. It's so huge that it's being held together with an entire spoon! It can get overwhelming, so I'm glad we shared this one. The wings were just OK though as they were kind of small and sauces were nothing special. I probably would've enjoyed it better with ranch too.Anyways, pricey spot to grab a meal and taste was nothing special. It seems this spot is super popular with celebrities though."

Ernesto's

★★★★☆ 4.2 (939) • $

"Ahhh! Ernesto's pizza is just top tier. I've tried their pizza in Assembly Row before and it was divine. Just yesterday, we got a whole pizza with sausage, jalapeños, and ricotta cheese. Chef's kiss!!I highly recommend trying either locations. And honestly, I am not even a pizza person (I know it sounds crazy) but EUREKA! Ever since I have tried Ernesto's, I have been obsessed."

Carlo's Cucina Italiana

★★★★☆ 4.4 (808) • $$

"The food was delicious and the portions are huge! It's a very nondescript restaurant. The location is very ideal for anyone who lives in Allston and for college students. It seems to be a popular place in the area. We ordered the antipasti, Caprese, veal pasta and seafood Arrabiata linguine was delicious. The Tiramisu was good too. My only criticism is that they should've told us the price of the linguine Arabiata since it was $44 a plate as a special! The ambience is casual. The service was friendly and casual."

Monica's Mercato

★★★★☆ 4.3 (682) • $$

"Don't tell my family I said this, but this was one of two "food highlights" of our vacation in Boston this year. I'm not kidding when I say we stumbled onto this place, but what's that saying "God takes care of drunks and fools!" Monica's is the picture perfect provision store in all of Boston's North End! The sandwich I had, the Italian Sausage Special, was THE BEST SANDWICH EVAH! I'm not kidding.If you're in Boston, come here and buy lots of stuff, including sandwiches. If you're anywhere else in the whole wide world, get on a plane, train, automobile or boat and come here and buy stuff!The ambiance (I usually frown on such associations) is like something out of Godfather #1. This is a must-see North End Boston Italian treasure!"

GRECO

★★★★☆ 4.4 (648) • $$

"This food is so FREAKING AMAZING. Honestly you are getting fine dinning quality in a casual restaurant that delivers such good food. I went here for dinner three times in two weeks and each time it was consistently good. The halloumi and zucchini chips were my go to. The fries with feta are also delicious. They carry an array of Greek imported drinks. The dips.. oh the dips!! The Tirokafteri aka spicy feta is just out of the world as is the tsaziki. The plates are generously portioned. The yaya donuts are SO GOOD!! I honestly tried almost everything and I can't say not one bad thing. Staff goes above and beyond. They want customers to be happy. They even take customers minutes before close. Amazing spot."

Fuji at Assembly

★★★★☆ 4.1 (677) • $$

"Everyone in the area knows Fuji as absolute sushi legends. Everyone's got a go to order. Below is ours! Lychee martinis or sake! General gaos chicken with a side of white rice. Maki Moro super combo sushi rolls. Super underrated-- pork belly + scallions!! GET IT. We have excellent service at all times for take out, at the bar or for dinner. We love it here and you will to."

Shawarma Palace

★★★★★ 4.7 (504) • $

"Expected More, but Wonderful PeopleI was here for lunch on a Saturday. The restaurant was not busy (I was the only customer). The owner was working behind the counter preparing chicken for the shawarma. He stopped what he was doing, cleaned up, greeted me and carefully prepared the food I ordered. This kind of personal attention to the food doesn't exist at many places and shows the amount the owner cares about his restaurant. I've tried both the chicken and beef shawarma and both were pretty good. The food is all made in-house, and is all fresh. Just expected more. Thanks"

Al's State Street Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.3 (562) • $

"Very solid sub shop. Generous portions, more than fair prices, fast staff, and plenty of them to ensure there's no wait. Very tasty."

Dirty Water Dough

★★★★☆ 4 (635) • $$

"See this place on Guy Fieri s DDD We were in the area so decided to go for lunch , very cute small little place but well worth it . We got a Cesar salad to share plus we ordered a cheese pizza with pineapple . Really good Pizza !!!!!"

Carl's Steak Subs

★★★★☆ 4.2 (539)

"I made the mistake of getting a chicken based sub. I expected a fresh breaded chicken cutlet... but sadly it's a frozen tender. Not even a high quality one. A chicken cutlet would have made the sub a 5 star affair. This place probably makes a great steak and cheese. Unfortunately I went the chicken route. The ingredients were good, except the chicken. I have to go 3 stars because the chicken tender was really bad. However, I'll revisit for the steak and cheese which I think is their signature item. The staff is really nice. Parking is tough in that area because it's a road that sees alot of cars. Street parking is available though if you can find a spot"

Cutty's

★★★★☆ 4.2 (457) • $

"Biting into a roast beef 1000 is the definition of a slice of heaven. Soft pillowy bun, piles of flavorful fatty sliced beef, and a zesty thousand island sauce that is a party in your mouth. What more could you want in a sandwich?This online order only, walk up window operation that operates only a few days a week during lunch hours can be a bit annoying but maybe the scarcity is what makes it even more special when you do happen to get a sandwich on a blue moon."

Anchovies

★★★★☆ 4 (461) • $$

"Came here for drinks on a Friday night. It's a pretty small venue if you're just there for drinks so keep that in mind. The drinks, however, were awesome! Any drink that comes in a martini glass they give you the rest of the shaker too so it's a great deal. The bartenders were very friendly and the vibes were great."

Bloc Somerville

★★★★☆ 3.6 (551)

"Intelligencia coffee (shout out chicago!) served here. Pretty weak, though. Lots of food here - cooked by a toaster oven/salamander. Space opens early with lots of seating. Huge patio (under some construction when we visited early September).Chill hipster vibes. We love an environmentalist!"

Oliveira's Steak House

★★★★☆ 4 (391) • $$$

"Meats Meats! Meats! It's been a while since we've been to a Brazilian steakhouse so we were super excited to try Oliveira. We made reservations online and we were quickly seated as soon as we got there. We went with the first option on their dinner menu which was an all you can eat buffet and juicy meats served at your table. The restaurant is bustling and fast paced but we quickly got the rhythm down of flagging down the meat servers and asking for more. We did utilize the salad buffet but we didn't want to get too full because all we wanted was the meats! I liked the basket full of goodies that they served us as soon as we sat down. It was filled with yucca fries, plantains, bacon wrapped bread and Brazilian cheese bread. Everything was yummy! The meats did not disappoint! They were juicy and some were saltier than others which I love because I love salt! We couldn't get enough of the grilled pineapple that was like a nice palate cleanser in-between different meat tastings. They were also very generous with the slices, they cut up some beefy chunks of meat each time. By the end of dinner we were stuffed but very satisfied! I can't wait to dine here again! It was so much fun and so much food!"

Orinoco

★★★★☆ 4 (388) • $$

"Step into the alley and discover delicious foods! My bf found this hidden gem tucked away from the main busy street. The restaurant is not that big but it has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. They have a big menu with many interesting dishes. I decided on their pollo adobo and wanted tostones on the side but they had run out. My bf got a savory meat dish and our friend ordered what looked like a pizza topped with shredded beef.The food was very tasty and very good! My pollo adobo was cooked perfectly and it came with a mushroom sauce and gnocchi. I quickly devoured it! The pizza looking dish was also very good. It had sweet flavors which was surprisingly delicious! My bf dish was also very good and very filling. He ordered shredded beef with a side of rice and beans. The service was great and the ambiance was nice. We had a great dinner and will definitely be back!"

Bamboo Thai Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (427) • $$

"My friend and I came here for dinner on a Saturday night. The menu is huge and everything looked delicious, so it was difficult to decide what to order. I finally settled on the duck noodle soup with vermicelli noodles. Is there anything more perfect than a big bowl of noodle soup in the fall or winter? No, no there is not. Just thinking about it makes me want to go back and order another bowl.Affordable price, cute interior, and great food. I'd definitely recommend!"

Cocobeet

★★★★★ 4.5 (275) • $$

"I'm a sucker for a good smoothie bowl, and Cocobeet has a GOOD smoothie bowl. Not only is their establishment conveniently located within walking distance of my hotel in Boston, their food options are entirely plant based and without processed sugar, which is right up my alley. Upon entering the gentleman manning front of house greeted me warmly and offered to answer any questions. I ordered the Blue Oasis bowl - peach, banana pineapple, algae, maple and coconut base topped with banana, strawberries, blueberries, toasted coconut flakes, and date almond crumble. This. Is. Glorious - delightfully fruity with excellent textural components. The following morning I enthusiastically devoured the vanilla berry chia pudding, a beautiful combination of cashews, dates, chia seeds, and citrus topped with a berry compote. My only two pieces of constructive criticism:1. Price. After tip I paid $17.50 for the smoothie bowl alone, which is steep for an on-the-go breakfast.2. Nutrition information: I wish they had it. They explained that since they often tweak and adjust recipes it's difficult to maintain accurate nutrition information, which is understandable, but if you don't reach for the moon you'll never get anything.Summary: Cocobeet = very yes."

Billy's Sub Shop

★★★★★ 4.6 (254) • $

"Wow! The subs are huge and reasonably priced. Short walk from my office and it's obvious this place is popular. Around 12pm on a Friday, they were rocking.Got a custom chicken cutlet sub and it was loaded. Made to perfection and the nice lady who wrapped and handed me my lunch mentioned, "I hope you're hungry." Now I know I wasn't lol! Good bang for your buck. One sub is enough to share or leave half for later! Recommended if you're in the Back Bay area."

Pisa Pizza Malden

★★★★☆ 4.1 (301) • $

"We ordered half meat lovers, half cheese. I'd say everything about this pizza is perfect: sauce to cheese ratio, large chunks of sausage, sliced generously, crispy, fluffy crust. Came here on a recommendation and it delivers!! $24 for a large that fed three with plenty of left overs."

Azama Grill

★★★★☆ 3.7 (344) • $

"Updating my review because I had the chicken shawarma and lamb shawarma plate and this place is amazing! The meat is perfectly cooked -- very flavorful without having a raw gamey taste other places often have. Service is solid. I can attest this is definitely one of Boston's hidden treasures and entire menu is Halal. Can confirm there is sitting area -- definitely casual. Will be back very soon, I want to try other parts of their menu."

Florina Pizzeria & Paninoteca

★★★★★ 4.6 (212) • $$

"I came here on a weekday afternoon and there were a couple of other people in the shop. I got my slices pretty quick and there was also a special going on for a free can of soda.The pizza itself was very good. The pepperoni slice was huge but light (thin) and a good amount of cheese, pepperoni, and sauce. The sauce was pretty good too. Overall, the pizza was flavorful, crispy yet there was plenty of bread. Sauce was also great. I would recommend this place for the reasonable prices and generous, delicious portions."

La Taqueria Taco Bar & Grill

★★★★☆ 4.1 (262) • $$

"Experiences may vary. I quite enjoyed the enchiladas with al pastor- the meal was fresh and filling and huge/heavy, the meat was flavorful and juicy, and the Mexican rice and stewed black beans on the side were tasty and seasoned well. The tacos though had dry meat (various meats, including al pastor), like maybe they were under a heat lamp or something, and the refrieds were wayyyy too salty.We also tried the app sampler, which was nothing to rave about but not bad either: the cheese nachos were plain but the cheese sauce was flavorful, the elote was decent, and the chicken flautas were a bit on the burnt side but had lots of flavor. Mixed bag, but worth a try."

Al's South Street Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.2 (233) • $

"TL;DR: Al's is a phenomenal place to grab a sandwich for lunch. The service is quick, the value is excellent, and the sandwiches are delectable, LOADED with ingredients, and wicked fresh.I heard about Al's from coworkers (we work right around the corner), and let me tell you: the hype is real! On my first visit, I ordered a 10" Steak Bomb. This marvelous thing came out in less than five minutes. It was so fresh; it was too hot to eat at first! They also do not skimp on the meat or any other filling! Plus, the bread appeared hollowed out, which could have been intentional or just from the sheer volume of ingredients. Yet, Al's still stuffed it to the max (without making a mess). Another upshot is you don't get a mouthful of bread with little protein! The bread itself is fine, just ever so slightly toasty, and seemed fresh. As for the stuffing itself, the meat was tender and had great flavor! The veggies also offered a nice contrast and a fair amount of freshness. They also had a little cheese, to which I seldom say no. On my second go, I ordered a 10" Steak Bomb again, only with double cheese, and they didn't charge me extra.This point leads to the final topic: value. $10.50, with tax included, for a sandwich of this caliber is a phenomenal deal. This exchange is hard to beat, considering the food quality and sheer volume. Plus, it makes me happy when a business does not nickel and dime me for an extra slice or two of cheese. If you want to sweeten the deal further, a 16" is $2 more, and adding chips and a drink costs less than $2 extra.(Disclaimer, prices are for hot subs as of 11/21/2022)"

Tia's Waterfront

★★★☆☆ 2.6 (578) • $$

"Went for a late lunch on a Sunday afternoon. Service was quick and friendly. They have a wide selection of offerings so there's something for everyone. I got the chicken tacos which surpassed my expectations and my friends enjoyed their burgers. The cocktail I got was strong and worth every cent. There was no music playing so it was easy to converse with everyone in my party. I usually associate this place with just drinking but I will definitely be back for another meal."

Pizzeria Rustico

★★★★☆ 4.2 (200) • $

"My favorite lunch spot around. I walk a long time in the rain sometimes to get these sandwiches. The chicken parm, meat ball, and bidabeep sandwiches are insane! One of the best chicken Parms in Boston hands down. My favorite meatball sub around, and the bidabeep with the fresh mooz and procuitto is light but great. They guy who works here is always super friendly too. People seem to like the pizza a lot the Sicilian looks so good, but it's like 5$ a slice... I was born in the 90s so I can't bring myself to try it yet. I want to try their calzones sometime but I think they don't do individuals anymore."

The Pleasant Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.8 (238) • $$

"This place has been around forever for a reason it's really relaxing they have a full bar and the service is very welcoming. This is my first time and I only had the Pizza but I shall return and try the prime Rib and some parm chicken or eggplant maybe the stuffed shells with meatballs. As for my pizza I had a custom made pie and it was delicious I like this pizza because the sausage had plenty of fennel and the sauce was on the sweet side and the cheese was really good and didn't turn chewy when it cooled off. Come see them if you haven't already. Btw they have a ginormous parking lot right across from the restaurant."

Meridian Food Market

★★★★★ 4.6 (158) • $

"The Meridian special sub is a top 2 sandwich ever. So delicious. The bread is so good, the cutlets are thin and crispy..10/10 great sandwich. Can't stop thinking about it"

Stella's Pizza

★★★★☆ 3.9 (218) • $

"Your local joint serving up great pies with great service.The ambiance brings you back to a simpler time. One of nostalgia and love.Go get a slice and travel back in time."

Love at First Bite

★★★★☆ 3.9 (213)

"These guys know a few things. 1) how to serve a jack and Diet Coke with a cold pour! 2) how to make a minced pork lumpia-like egg roll starter 3) my favorite - a LEGIT chili oil and self-serve sauce carousel. I'm a sauce sloot! Check out the pics and tell me I'm wrong! Friendly service and casual environment."

Liberty Bell Roast Beef and Seafood

★★★★☆ 4.1 (187) • $$

"Solid roast beef, the super beef with the onion roll is the best. Three way (sauce, mayo and cheese) is the way to go. Also the service is really great. I noticed there were a couple of older gentlemen who ordered and one of the workers was so kind and helpful. Those are the type of people that makes a place go for great to awesome!"

Fornax Bread Company

★★★★☆ 4 (194)

"Really nice bread place in Roslindale. Has a variety of type of breads. The challah is top notch, nicely braided, with a good chewy texture. The ham and cheese croissant was decent, though some of the layers of croissant were more dense than I had anticipated. The baguette was rather unique - a bit denser than usual but enjoying the outer crust."